On a weeknight, every pew at Hartford’s Maria Reina de la Paz Parish is full. The throng, which is primarily Latino, is celebrating the elevation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the rank of an archdiocesan shrine. You would think it was Christmas or Easter.
The parish will hold more holy events, such as confessions, more frequently now that it is a shrine. For Catholics, who view it as a sacrament in their religion, that is an essential practice.
In English, Maria Reina de la Paz Parish means Mary, Queen of Peace, and it meets at Saint Lawrence O’Toole Church in Hartford.
That’s appropriate in these times, according to Hartford Archbishop Christopher Coyne.
According to Coyne, the designation of Our Lady Mary, Queen of Peace, will enable this location to become a place where we continuously pray for peace—peace in war-torn nations, peace in our families, peace in our culture, peace in the communities, especially the Latino communities that are dealing with arrests, round-ups, anxieties, and other issues.
According to Coyne, neither immigration nor customs enforcement officials have gone inside church premises.
They might be outdoors later, you know. Who knows? “Said Coyne.” For the most part, however, people respect what we do and tend to avoid it when possible.
This predominantly Latino parish is thriving despite the state’s ICE detentions. According to Coyne, that is comparable to the reaction following 9/11.
According to Coyne, when people experience fear or uncertainty in their lives, they turn to the divine.
The Hartford Archdiocese is expanding overall. The archdiocese, which covers Hartford, New Haven, and Litchfield, has witnessed an 8% growth in attendance over the past year, despite the fact that many dioceses and other Christian groups are moving in the opposite direction.
“I think people are realizing that digital media and culture are not affirming and are isolating,” he remarked. And since you’re searching for something transcendent, you’re not among people, and you’re hearing the wrong things, it frequently leads to a breakdown in your soul.
Why the parish was turned into a shrine
Maria Reina de la Paz was exalted during this period for two reasons.
First of all, this year is a jubilee. One of Pope Francis’ final projects before his passing was Jubilee 2025. This custom has its roots in the early days of Judaism and the biblical book of Leviticus, when the devout were freed from all obligations and bonds every 49 years.
The late pope urged Catholics to be pilgrims of hope during this year of particular grace, which occurs in the Catholic Church every 25 years on average. This year, local dioceses have begun recommending holy sites for pilgrims who are unable to go to Rome.
The pastor of the Maria Reina de la Paz Parish, Father H. Alexander Avenda, is the second factor. Avenda O is currently the shrine’s rector as well.
He learned that he could also request a Jubilee cross in the church and the designation as a pilgrimage place when he went to the archdiocese to request that the area be dedicated as a shrine.
The archbishop and the approximately 20 other priests present bless the cross with incense and offer prayers as it is taken down the middle aisle during the opening procession of mass and put close to the altar.
The 17-year-old lector is preparing to give the second reading on the other side of the altar. In their quest for a place that honored Mary, her Latino family, like many others, discovered our parish a few years ago.
In its news statement announcing the shrine, the Archdiocese of Hartford stated that “the shrine will be open to all, with a special emphasis on being a welcoming pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese’s growing Hispanic population, many of whom have a special devotion to Mary.”
After mass, partitioners give the teenager a shoulder squeeze and compliment her on her excellent performance.
Everyone is grinning. Well, everyone seemed to be at peace.
